Tesla hails top safety rating for Model S

Wednesday, August 21, 2013 - 00:49

Aug. 21 - Electric car company Tesla says its Model S sedan has won a five-star safety rating in every category tested by safety regulators, a distinction awarded to just one percent of all vehicles tested in the United States. Ben Gruber reports.

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Tesla says its battery-powered Model S set a record for the lowest likelihood of injury to occupants in recent crash tests.
The electric car company, based in Palo Alto, California and led by billionaire Elon Musk, says the Model S exceeded the safety score of all cars and trucks on U.S. roads, including sport-utility vehicles and minivans tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The electric car does not have a front engine block, giving it a longer "crumple zone" that allows the vehicle to absorb high-speed impacts more effectively than gasoline-powered rivals.
The Model S comes with a starting price of $70,000 before a federal tax credit. The company sold 5,150 cars in the second quarter and expects to sell 21,000 cars this year.